FEMA and FCC schedule nationwide emergency alert test for November 17
FEMA says a nationwide Emergency Alert System test is planned for approximately 2:20 p.m. Eastern on November 17.
What the record says
FEMA's October 14 bulletin says the agency and the Federal Communications Commission will conduct a nationwide Emergency Alert System test at approximately 2:20 p.m. Eastern on Tuesday, November 17. The test is intended to assess how participating broadcasters and other communications providers receive and relay a national message. FEMA says the message will identify itself as a test and require no public action. Depending on the provider, it may appear as audio, on-screen text or both, with normal programming resuming afterward.
Source details and supporting locations.
Practical next step
Recognize the announced November 17 broadcast test message as a test; follow separate official instructions if an actual emergency occurs.
Limits and what is not established
This is a planned Emergency Alert System test. The bulletin does not establish that a wireless cellphone alert is part of this test or that every individual device will receive it. The test has not yet occurred.
Sources checked October 20, 2026. Later notices may change instructions or arrangements.
Original sources
Federal Emergency Management Agency: original information